The selling of Obamacare

Reality has been outrunning satire for a while in the Age of Obama, but the folks at Saturday Night Live seem to think they can pull it off. As we approach the shifting deadline for Obamacare enrollment on Monday, Obama adviser “Mike” (he looks an awful lot like Obama flack Dan Pfeiffer) and social media expert “Mara” are featured talking Obama into taking promotional photographs that are guaranteed to go viral and deliver ten million additional sign-ups in the next 48 hours. How low will Obama go?

Obama is shown submitting to a photograph in Pharrell’s hat while holding sign touting Healthcare.gov. He takes a group photo with Kim Kardashian, Harry Styles, and BatKid holding “a cat dressed like Princess Elsa from Frozen.” Then comes the Pope (because “he’s hot right now”). As I say, reality outruns satire in the Age of Obama.

The bit with the Pope makes me wonder: where is Father Guido Sardcucci? He isn’t familiar to the target demographic, but he would be able to make comedy out of the selling of Obamacare.

For their final shot, the White House crew brings in Justin Bieber (Kate McKinnon) for an intimate photo. Now that is low, but lower than Zach Galifianakis and Between Two Ferns? This satire thing is hard.